The police have arrested two who were allegedly involved in the murder—by lynching—of deputy superintendent of police Ayub Pandith at Jama Masjid on Thursday. A third accused is still at large.
"The two involved in the lynching of martyr DySP Mohammed Ayub Pandith have been arrested," DGP S.P. Vaid said in a statement.
The third accused has been identified, the statement said.
Pandith was killed by a lynch mob on Thursday night at Jama Masjid at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.
Vaid said he was killed while performing duty outside the mosque.
Pandith was attacked by a mob when, according to the police, he and two of his colleagues were on duty.
Reports said the local residents became suspicious of him after he was seen clicking pictures.
He tried to repel them by firing a few shots from his pistol which left three people injured. The mob, who had come for the night prayers on the most auspicious night of Ramzan, Laylat-al Qadar, beat him to death.
The news quickly spread across Kashmir.The police initially denied any of their men had been killed by the mob.
After the incident, reinforcements arrived and identified Pandith's body.
Additional police force was deployed in and around Jama Mosque; Police announced restrictions in areas under seven police stations due to which no Friday prayers could be held at the historic grand mosque of Kashmir.
The killing of Pandith evoked strong condemnation from mainstream politicians and separatists alike. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement said he was deeply disturbed and condemned the brutal act.
"Mob violence and public lynching are outside the parameters of our values and religion," Mirwaiz said. "The violence that the state has wreaked on us is largely responsible for this kind of brutalisation." He said the police are being used against the people in the most brutal ways which leads to brutal reactions.
"It is very important and imperative for us that we do not allow our social fabric to be brutalised and keep our basic values intact."
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said: ''The murder is actually a murder of trust. The officer had allowed his guards to go home,” she said.
Opposition leader and NC working president Omar Abdullah said the killing was an unimaginable tragedy, traversty and height of barbarism. Omar demanded the killers be arrested and given the sternest possible punishment.
"I am personally anguished and devastated by this tragedy," Omar said in a statement. "That this happened on the most auspicious night and outside Jamia Masjid is shocking."
Omar has announced Rs 10 lakh from the party and his one month's salary to the police welfare fund.
While there is an outpouring of sympathy and condemnation for the killing of the young police officer, questions have been raised about the manner in which the deceased officer operated near the mosque and then fired at the people who found his activities suspicious.
After the night long supplication, most of the Srinagar woke up to a tense morning as additional police and para military forces were deployed in sensitive areas in downtown Srinagar.
Pandith's killing has come at a time when a civilian was killed at the encounter site in Pulwama, which left three Lashkar Toiba militants dead. More than 40 protesters were injured when they gathered to protect the holed up militants. The spree of killings across Kashmir sullened the mood on Eid eve.
